A little how-to and recipe on making ricotta gnocchi (gnocchi di ricotta) using our whole milk ricotta, as well as some perfection pondering. The answer is eluding me. There is this concept of grace I can’t quite grasp. I can feel it, invading my chest cavity and taking up residence there, pulsing along with the beating of my heart. However, when I reach out towards it and try to hold it in my hand, it dissipates, falling through my fingers like mist on a cold, wet morning. I tend to dwell... more

In which we turn our homemade ricotta into a spinach-and-ricotta-filled lasagna with ground beef and a homemade tomato sauce. The recipe and method of which was created and carried out by the four kids in our family with some help from their mom. “A light exists in spring Not present on the year At any other period.” -Emily Dickinson The beginning of spring marked more than just the vernal equinox in our house. New schedules are passed out during homeroom, and a new trimester calls for... more

Mildly piquant Poblano peppers add kick to this full-bodied black bean beef chili recipe with a cooling cilantro and avocado cream on top. We woke up in Narnia. Snow had cascaded down from a dark midnight sky and left a soft white blanket that covered the ground and coated the trees. The grey mountains of snow at the ends of driveways had been washed clean and sparkled. Footprints and ice crusts were covered with nothing but pure, unadulterated white. The weight of it muffles sound and makes everything... more

Succulent steak spiced with fiery cayenne is accompanied by a cooling, tangy chimichurri made with parsley and cilantro both, as well as the sharpness of a fresh-squeezed lemon. Temperatures dropped this week. If you live to the east, you’re feeling it now. A wicked wind cut through gloves and coats, stinging any visible skin with its razor-like edge. Hats became mandatory, sometimes left on indoors to keep a small bit of heat from escaping as the wind howled at the doors and shook the window... more

Sweet caramelized onions dance with creamy Gruyère in velvety egg custard with a bit of tangy yogurt all nestled inside a flaky rosemary crust in this easy quiche recipe. That hour when the sun starts to whisper its goodbye sends pinkish rays streaming through the kitchen window, bouncing off the surfaces and bottles, casting sharp shadows across smooth surfaces. The room becomes bright and darkened all at once, the light playing and dancing with each passing moment. The subtle stinging of fresh... more

A hearty, stick-to-your-ribs recipe for gumbo stew, packed full of smoked sausage, shrimp, okra, and served over rice. There is something you should know about me. I am slowly going insane because I used “gotta” in the title above. Gotta is not an appropriate way to say anything, but “When You Have to Gumbo” is lacking the musical alliteration quality of the current title. Please overlook this grammatical foible as a form of creative license. foi•ble, noun : the part... more

A smoked and slow roasted barbacoa recipe, Americanized only by the use of a smoker and a readily available chuck roast cut. A bonus chili recipe from the roasting sauce is included. I’ve spoken before about how our family’s cooking activities have “ruined” certain convenience items for us. In many cases, the recipes or techniques that we’ve developed at home, while they may take more time, result in a product far superior than what is commercially available. Things like burgers, barbecue,... more